


wolf's mouth

by passerines



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen, Major Original Character(s), Not Beta Read, Original Character-centric, Pre-Arcobaleno Curse (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Pre-Canon, caught up with ff.net as of chapter 8, i feel the need to really emphasize canon divergent, i'm going to spam post chapters until i'm caught up with ff.net, this is about the mafia so y'all know it's not all sunshine and rainbows, will add more tags and characters as they show up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-01-16 13:24:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18522430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/passerines/pseuds/passerines
Summary: .We are defined by the company we keep; our character by those we love, our integrity by those we hate.[OC-centric].





	1. Chapter 1

ᛇ

She's not entirely sure how she got into this mess. One second she's trying to track down her older brother and the next she's being cornered by what might well be the most dangerous men she's ever met.

And her father's in the  _mafia_.

It had all started innocently enough; she just wanted to find out where her brother ran off to every day.

They weren't particularly close, their first interaction had been six months ago when her father dropped her off on his doorstep with a note telling him who she is.

At four, she wasn't the best at understanding the subtleties in interactions but it didn't take an expert to put together the fact that her father and brother didn't get along and she had just been abandoned.

Though, for what's it worth, she wasn't really concerned about it.

She doesn't know if her mother was ever in the picture, she had never been around as far as she knew, and her father wasn't exactly  _attentive_  so being alone in a house too big for her was something she had grown accustomed to and she had no delusions of her brother suddenly opening himself up to her.

Still, she was worried for him. Sure, he had 12 years on her but they were firmly entrenched in mafia territory and with active flames (and wasn't that just  _sad_ ) along with a father that wasn't well liked, he made a prime target.

She never considered that she would make a better one.

ᛇ

Feet pounding on the cobblestone, she prays desperately to any god that might be listening to get out of this alive.

She's  _four_  for god's sake! She knows nothing! She doesn't even have active flames yet but still these men won't leave her alone.

She's not sure if they're actually mafia, chasing someone through the streets whether justified or not is sure to attract a lot of attention and the Antonelli may not be the most powerful family but they ruled this town with an iron fist.

A crate explodes to her right, brutally jerking her back to the present. Maintaining the zig zag she's been running in, she breaks out into the open street, immediately immersing herself with the crowd.

Had the street been any less busy her plan might not work. As it is, she's able to blend in, skirting around people's legs and slowly but surely losing her tail.

Rounding a corner at the end of the street she breaks out into another run, trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

'If I make it out of this,' she thinks to herself 'I'm going to have to work on my stamina.'

Feeling like her legs were about to burst open, she ducks into an alley, diving behind a bag of trash. Gasping for breath, she slumps against the wall and waits for a minute before relaxing.

Glancing around at the rotting decay that surrounds her she curses both herself and her brother. It's easily one of the most disgusting things she's ever seen but she makes no move to get up. Better to sleep here and get sick, she muses, than to leave and….well...die.

Her eyes snap open at the sound of something slamming into the wall.

There is no way that an animal made that noise. Absolutely no chance in hell. Like a rat in a trap she tries to meld herself to the wall, willing herself to become invisible.

Casting a cautious glance up, she finds herself staring into hard, obsidian eyes and all she can think is that she's going to die next to a bag of trash.

ᛇ

He hadn't been expecting much when he arrived in Squillace.

Sure, it was a beautiful town but Italy wasn't bereft of those. The only really interesting thing was the pottery the town was known for.

Or, well, the only interesting thing save for the young, active Mist that had somehow managed to evade working with the Antonelli.

Though it wasn't unheard of, flame users weren't known for being spared from the mafia and with how much the Anotelli were trying to force the young Mist's hand, it was the prime opportunity for him to swoop in as a "saving grace" on behalf of the Vongola.

Though he could've done without his  _partner_.

God knows how he had been roped into this but here he is, standing in a market place trying to pick which terra cotta pot he likes more while his partner sought out the Mist.

At least he  _was_  looking at the ceramics until he heard the unmistakable sound of gunshots.

He looks up just in time to watch the reflection of a young girl burst into the busy street and lose herself in the crowd.

Quirking a brow, he watches as she uses her height (or lack thereof) to skirt around people's legs, effectively disappearing from sight.

Her technique is sloppy at best and he's seen much better from kids her age but he's sorely lacking in entertainment so he turns away from the stall and makes to follow her.

Just as he reaches the crowd a group of men come barreling down into the street, screeching about "the brat" that got away. Most of the civilians shift away once they spot the crest identifying them as Antonelli grunts. Not satisfied with the reaction, the men start waving their guns in the civilians' faces like absolute  _amateurs_ , all the while demanding information.

'Well this just got more interesting.' He smirks to himself.

Tucking his hands into his pockets, he strolls leisurely towards where she's no doubt hiding. The ambient flames she's giving off makes pinpointing her location a matter of seconds though it would've been child's play regardless.

'Sloppy,' he scoffs to himself. Honestly it was just bad parenting to leave a flame capable child with no method of self defense.

Turning into the alley she's hid herself in, he nearly rolls his eyes at the heavy panting. Entertainment and irritation are at war and he's hard pressed to decide whether this was worth it after all.

'Well,' he eyes a trash can standing near him, 'it wouldn't do to give her a heart attack by just showing up.'

A smirk curls across his lip.

'No, no. I should  _definitely_  announce myself.'

And if he lets out a bit of irritation on the can and relishes a bit in the harsh intake of breath, well who's there to say anything?

Let it never be said that he can't make the best out of a bad situation.

It's two steps until he's standing in front of the girl. The bag of trash she's hidden behind is doing an absolutely horrible job at providing cover and though she's absolutely shaking with fear she still manages to meet his eyes.

They say nothing, just eye each other; her in fear and him in faint amusement.

She tears her eyes away from his then and eyes his arms, clearly looking for that hideous patch that the grunts were wearing. Her eyes grow increasingly frantic when they find nothing and now she's searching everywhere on his person, hoping against hope that she'll see anything that will let her know who she's dealing with.

There's nothing.

The realization that this man is not related to the ones chasing after her, that he can do whatever he wants quickly dawns and she snaps her eyes back to his.

Her pupils are blown in fear, shoulders hunched over, shaking like a leaf in a tornado, shallow breaths tearing through her chest; she's not just scared now, she's downright terrified.

But she hasn't looked away.

Has kept her eyes trained on him, not giving him the opportunity to strike when she's unaware.

He smirks.

He tries not to, really, but it's impossible to stop. This little girl is showing more courage than he's seen in hundreds of  _mafioso_  and there's something to be said for that.

Distantly, he registers the flames moving steadily towards him as his partner and sharpens his grin. The girl jerks back, acting like if she pushed hard enough that the wall would swallow her whole.

" _Would you stop scaring her?_ "

ᛇ

At the second voice she jerks even farther back into the wall. She can't tell where the voice came from and she's certainly too scared to take her eyes off the man in front of her.

Child she may be, stupid she is not.

" _Who says I'm scaring her_?" A part of her is severely irritated that they're speaking in a different language but an equally large part is whispering that they're talking about all the ways they could cut her up into bite sized pieces and she would never know.

_"Don't play coy."_  The tonal variations keep throwing her off but it also sounds so familiar, she just can't place where she knows it from.

Admittedly being terrified out of your mind isn't the best time to play at being a linguistics expert.

A flash of red in the corner of her eye grabs her attention and (very reluctantly) she turns to face it.

Standing before her is a man dressed in red and white with a long, thin braid down his back. He's smiling genially at her but she isn't at all convinced that he's as nice as he's pretending to be. His eyes are similar enough to the other man that she finds it impossible to calm down.

He's speaking again but she can't really focus on anything other than her heart pounding in her ears and with a jerk she realizes that she's kept her eyes off the other man for far longer than she feels comfortable. The men are too far away from one another to watch them both at the same time so she compromises by sliding her eyes from one to the other frantically.

She ignores the smirk being shot her way.

_"Hēi,"_  the man in red calls to her,  _"we're not going to hurt you."_  He extends an arm out, palm facing her in an attempt at mollification. The other man scoffs but seems to decide that it's best not to get involved and takes to leaning against the wall, crossing his arms with that insufferable smirk still on his face.

The girl is 100 percent ill at ease now. At this point, she doubts that the man is a part of the group that was chasing her originally but that doesn't mean he's not associated with them. Why else would he have followed her here and then intimidated her until this other guy showed up? And now he's just relaxing by a bag of trash as if his suit wasn't worth more than the combined income of half the town.

Nothing good can come when a man like that relaxed. Nothing good at all.

Keeping him in her periphery, she turns her attention to the man in red. His other hand is out as well now, palm out towards her and the smile has come back on. Maybe in a different scenario she'd accept his attempts, smile back at him and then run back out into the street but here she is, staring at him like a mouse does the cat.

Her mind reels, thinking of all the things she's not going to be able to do anymore. No more naps in the sun, no more cloud watching, no more late night star gazing (and  _god_  are the stars beautiful - they were never quite so bright in Naples), no more watching the fishermen come in with their catches or the ceramicists digging clay by the gulf, no fireflies distracting her from the stars, god she never even got the chance to hug her brother!

Her eyes are filling with tears before she can stop it but she doesn't want to die and there's  _so very little_  she can do right now. She can't fight (she doesn't know how), she can't scream (it'll only get her killed faster), she can't do  _anything_.

She's utterly hopeless but she  _doesn't want to die_.

So when the man in red starts stepping closer and she instinctively jerks back into the wall, she feels her resolve harden.

She glares balefully at the man, not managing to dissuade him at all, though his smile drops from his face. The arms he has outstretched towards her droop a bit putting them  _that_  much closer to where she assumes his weapons are.

The desperation she's been trying to stamp down claws at her throat, threatening to rip through her mouth with its ferocity. She knows it'll just get her killed faster but with the next step the man takes she decides she doesn't care. The force is steadily building up within her and just as it feels like her chest is going to burst he takes another step.

She  _explodes_.

A power unknown to her tingles underneath her skin before surging out of every pore. The initial onslaught is almost unbearably painful and she finds herself clenching her eyes closed in a ridiculous attempt at shutting it out

'How unfair,' she thinks to herself. 'To be so convinced that you were going to die at someone else's hands only to accidentally kill yourself.'

Her eyebrows furrow at the faint bustling noises of the town past the silence in the alley. Is she a ghost? It would explain why she doesn't feel pain anymore.

She opens her eyes, finding herself fully corporeal and not nearly as dead as she thought she would be. The entire alley is swathed in purple that is originating from the flickering form of what appears to be flames on her hands.

Confused, she looks back up but the men are nowhere to be seen and the panic starts to well up again because  _where are they?_

There are no bodies lying around so they clearly weren't affected by whatever just happened. For all she knows they could be planning a counter attack.

A chill runs down her spine as she realizes that's probably exactly what they're doing. They probably saw this as some sort of attack and are looking to get some form of revenge.

'But I'm not hopeless anymore.' She eyes her hands critically. Though she doesn't know how to control them, she knows these are her flames and she's not about to go down without a fight.

The flames flare brighter as if in conjunction with her thoughts and even in this dire situation she can't help but note how pretty they are.

A noise to her left has her snapping to her feet, her hands in front of her in a mockery of a fighting stance.

_"I didn't think I scared her that badly."_  Looking as if he never left, the man regards her with blatant amusement. A part of her is  _still_  bristling at not being able to understand him.

A scoff from the right and she finds herself sandwiched in between the two men. Her resolve shakes, fear clawing at her.

Shaking it off she tries to will herself to hold on for just a little longer, surely  _someone_  has seen  _something_  and, honestly, so long as it wasn't the group of men from earlier she didn't care who it could be.

But help doesn't come and she stiffens as the red man sighs.

_"Sorry about this."_

Suddenly he's right in front of her, taking in her wide eyes and stuttering breaths. (My god, she hadn't even seen him  _move_!) Her flames move instinctually, curling around her in a makeshift shield. Forgetting her hands all together, she  _pushes_  with all her might, sending the shield out and away from her in an attempt to knock him over or at least get him away. He quirks a brow but otherwise doesn't react and coats his hand in red flames, reaching out to just tap the shield.

It shatters.

Before she can try to conjure another one he's in front of her again only this time he's taken her hands in his, steadily pumping them with his flames.

She can only watch wide eyed and terrified as her flames slowly putter into nothing.

"How interesting," the man is  _still_  leaning against the wall acting as if what had just happened was anything but.

She just stares, suddenly so numb and mind-numbingly exhausted.

"My apologies for frightening you on behalf of both my friend and myself." He's smiling at her with her hands still firmly encased in his. She's instantly irritated by both his composure and the fact that they could've spoken Italian the entire time, they just chose not to.

Gamely ignoring her glare, he continues, "I also apologize for having to cut your flames off but a massive, uncontrolled output such as yours could have dire consequences."

There's no chance she's about to admit she didn't understand the majority of what he said so she just stays quiet, eyeing him with renewed wariness.

"You do realize you're speaking to a child, no?"

The smile drops from his face for a second before coming back with blinding intensity.

Unsurprisingly this just makes her more nervous.

"I'm being rude aren't I? Let me introduce myself, my name is Fon and I am a Storm." He gives her hands a quick squeeze. "What I said earlier was that your flames were too strong and could have seriously hurt you so I had to put them out."

She has a feeling she should be saying thank you but she's still not sure that they won't kill her so she just bites her tongue.

"Do you know what flames are?" Fon asks.

Nodding her head, she chances a quick glance at the other man and jerks back as soon as she meets his eyes.

"Ah, I can see you're still worried. Fear not, we aren't interested in hurting you."  _Yet_ , her mind supplies unhelpfully.

A wave of exhaustion slams into her, soaking her through to the bone, the awkward angle of her arms isn't helping anything. She fidgets slightly, trying to gently tug her hands away from Fon.

The other man heaves a dramatic sigh before pushing off the wall and quite literally sauntering over. He flicks one finger out, allowing a dazzling yellow flame to light the tip. She tries not to flinch as he presses it against her forehead. Warmth spreads out to the rest of her body, slowly uncoiling her muscles and returning her body back to its pre-release state.

"Your name?"

'Who doesn't introduce themselves first?' She grumbles to herself. But he  _did_  just help her.

She looks back at Fon and catches the eagerness in his eyes. Technically they  _both_  helped her and really there's not much to lose by giving them her name.

"Ancile." She winces at how hoarse her throat is. "Ancile Shamal."

She can't help but think of the elderly matron she used to live by that spent every waking moment preaching warnings of the devil appearing as a handsome young man when a smirk crawls across his face.

"Chaos, Ancile. It's a  _pleasure_  to meet you."

ᛇ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Though I doubt many of you have seen this already, if the story does look familiar it's because it's being cross-posted from ff.net. I apologize for any formatting errors that might happen when I transfer chapters. Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

ᛇ

Coughing twice to clear her throat, she frowns at the man across from her.

"You still haven't introduced yourself." The words are clumsy and the pout on her lips is absolutely adorable so is it really any wonder that he continues to goad her?

"No, no I haven't." He almost laughs out loud when the pout grows bigger but manages to reel himself in at the last moment so all that escaped was a snort.

The trio have since relocated to a small bakery back on the main street. Ancile had quietly recommended the  _zippuli_  (and wasn't it downright riotous that she had only addressed Fon) and then sat down at one of the outdoor tables. He had followed close behind leaving Fon to place the order and wait for the food.

Ancile was proving to be more entertaining than he had initially thought, if this continues for much longer he might forget all about the Mist he was looking for.

Speaking of…

"Tell me,  _nuvoletta_ , do you have a brother?" The panicked eyes are all the answer he needs. Humming in response, he leans back in his chair and watches the girl squirm.

"You're after his flames?" It's a statement more than a question, he nods easily in response. It's only the second time she's spoken directly to him all day and he's a bit disappointed that she seems to be more comfortable around him already.

They lapse into another round of silence while he continues to watch her. Her eyes widen before she starts frantically searching for something around her. Ducking her head, she tries to get a clear view to the wall behind the display case but it's too far away to make anything out.

She's just about to get up and walk back in when an arm presents itself to her. Shocked eyes lock onto bored ones for a moment before he wiggles his wrist, catching her attention on his watch.

'A mind reader,' she gasps to herself while checking to make sure that she hadn't been out long enough to worry her brother. A chuckle sounds from across the table and she bites down on her nerves ferociously. 'Definitely a mind reader.'

Drawing back from his arm, she stares determinedly down at the table. Because, of course, direct eye contact is the only way he can get into her mind and that was  _not_  about to happen (again).

Shaking herself mentally, she refocuses on the task at hand. Her brother should be back home in a few hours. Though she's loathe to stay with these two for that long, taking them back to an empty house is completely out of the question.

The  _Castello di Squillace_ is a no-go, too many opportunities to "fall to her death". The  _Ponte del Diavolo_ may be a fitting place for the man across from her but seeing as how it's a literal bridge, she's going to have to pass.

With a sigh Ancile resigns herself to looping around the market in full view of her neighbors before she leads them back home. Even if she did somehow manage to lose them, she's under no delusions about how quickly they would find her.

The smell of fried potatoes jolts her out of her thoughts as Fon places the plate gently onto the table. She has half a mind to reject the food in fear of poison but this  _is_ her favorite bakery and they make the  _best_ zippuli. Honestly, Fon could've killed her 100 times over already and death by potato could not possibly be the worst way to go.

'Still,' she plucks one up and dips it in the marinara sauce before handing it to Fon, 'best not to take chances.'

If he's upset by her lack of trust he doesn't show it. In fact, he seems delighted by her wariness and happily takes the food. He doesn't anticipate the anchovies but they're much milder in flavor than the ones he finds back home and though he wouldn't mind some spice, it's quite pleasant overall. Finishing his piece, he gestures for Ancile to take one and beams when she does as he asks.

He doesn't look up to see what Renato has to say about it.

The girl is  _so_ young but he's seen younger,  _been_ younger when he started training and he can see the potential running through her. Not only are her flames extremely powerful (and he still feels a bit bad about being the cause of her activating them) but her instincts were great as well - nothing that could've saved her had he actually come with the intent to kill but that's easily trainable.

He'll let the Vongola have the Mist, it's of little to no consequence to him. The boy is much too old to be honed into something truly great but Ancile is perfect. A part of him aches at having to wear the innocence out of her but he consoles himself with the knowledge that if it weren't him, it would be the Vongola, or any one of the  _Ndràngheta_  and probably even more with flames as strong as hers.

Really, he's doing her a favor.

He reaches out to pat her head, smiling softly when she startles. A bit of marinara is rimming her mouth with her cheeks extended in an imitation of a chipmunk and it's all he can do to control his laughter.

Renato doesn't manage the task nearly as well as he does.

ᛇ

After two and a half hours of lollygagging around, Ancile finally decides to lead them to her home. Renato finds it remarkably charming how little she trusts them.

'She does have good taste though,' he muses, holding the ceramic vase she had picked out by the neck. The shopkeeper had clicked her tongue at him when she saw how he was holding it. He won't deny that it's mainly out of spite that he hasn't corrected himself.

They turn a bend, continuing up to the crest of a hill and pass by at least three ceramics shops. She probably took him to the rudest one she knew.

A quick glance her way confirms that's exactly what she did.

Her home can't be too far off, he can already feel the other Shamal's flames twitching in agitation, though he decides not to mention this to the girl. Clearly she had been hoping to avoid a confrontation and he  _dearly_  loves defying expectations.

A short five minutes has them at her doorstep.

Hovel would be a kind descriptor.

Their home is on the second floor, above a closed down florist's shop. The smell of dead flowers is pungent, indicating that it couldn't have been too long since it was emptied out. The stairs are a mess with one side without a railing and the other pressed against the chipping pink wall. There are cracks running through the cement steps, leaving great chasms in their wake and the door isn't set properly in its frame making it lie askew. The bars along the windows have long since rusted to the point that a harsh gust of wind could probably take them right off.

At least the shingles don't look like they're about to fly away.

There are only two charming things about the shack: the birdhouses hanging from either end of the roof and the view.

Were he a more a sentimental man he might describe it as breathtaking but he's content to just call it beautiful. There are no grand peaks of the Apennines to greet him but the distant view of gentle crests and the sprawling valleys that lie between. Though it's nearing winter the grass is still a lush green and he can see the purple petals of stubborn orchids that have yet to give way. It's a cloudy day but there are spots where sun rays break through, illuminating the land underneath and casting a golden glow across all that they touch. The wind nips softly at his skin and he breathes the mountain air in deeply.

But, again, he's not a sentimental man and so as soon as he exhales he shifts back into business mode, eyes glinting at the impending chaos as he follows the girl into her  _house_.

ᛇ

Shamal is livid.

Unbridled fury pouring out of every inch of him causing his flames to thrash around wildly. He's completely unconcerned about the minor illusions popping up or the things fading in and out.

His sister is  _missing._

He knows she likes to leave after breakfast - wandering around town and exploring every nook and cranny she can find but she always,  _always_ gets home before he does.

It's not a set rule (they don't actually have any of those) but in the months they've been together it's become an unspoken expectation that if he's home, she's home.

It's not going to remain unspoken for long.

The only thing keeping him from barreling out the door and scouring the town is the threat of the Antonelli hanging over his head. He's managed to avoid them so far but he's really not looking to give them a chance to either make a pathetic sales pitch or force him into their ranks. He had heard whispers that they were chasing some kid through the market earlier and though he pitied the kid, he's just thankful that they hadn't come after him.

But with every minute that Ancile doesn't come through the door the paranoia that it had been her they were chasing grows. He tries to quash it under the mental equivalent of a steel toed boot but his little  _sorellina_ is a trouble magnet if there's ever been one.

In the six months that they've been living together he's become well acquainted with her inability to let slights against her go. He's not sure what their dad taught her (and he sincerely hopes it was completely different from what he had been taught) but he's really hoping this obsession with her pride will fade with age. There's no way he can handle another 14 years of her antagonizing the neighborhood boys.

He still remembers the last time he had to deal with one of their mothers and wasn't that just  _fun._ The boy had decided that Ancile wasn't good enough to play with him and spent a good five minutes screeching this sentiment at her in the hopes of getting her to leave.

Not to be outdone, Ancile had reamed him with every insult she could think of from how he was an absolute cabbage to how she had no doubt he was a farmer's son with how shitty his breath was to how he should be glad Michelangelo was dead otherwise he'd be painted as an example of the world's ugliest face.

(Admittedly, Shamal had found the last insult absolutely hilarious- especially since her vocabulary was still stilted.

Though he did have to tell her not to tell people to go fuck their dead ancestors.

He would worry about the swearing later.)

The mother had been livid but Ancile had batted her lashes a few times and stuttered out a teary apology, explaining that she didn't realize that what she said was so bad - she had just been so angry and copied what she'd seen their father do when  _he_ was angry.

The cherry on top had been when she turned around and said that she really must be as worthless as the boy had called her.

It had been so damn hard biting back the laughter but somehow he had pushed through and managed to school his face into the haggard older brother.

Thinking about it, she's not just a trouble magnet. Ancile is a hellion.

There's no two ways about it. A prideful, rude brat that had far too much time on her hands and an inability to accept the word "no".

So imagine his surprise when she walks in with her shoulders slumped forward and hesitation in her steps.

Everything about him is on edge the moment he sees the lingering fear in her eyes but then he sees a flash red and his eyes are drawn over her shoulder.

_Holy shit._

ᛇ

Ancile is more than a little uncomfortable.

She had wanted her brother to be here when she got home but she hadn't expected him to actually know the two men.

She feels stupid now.

He had stiffened immediately after looking at Fon and dragged her behind him without responding to the offered greeting.

The other man (who  _still_ hadn't introduced himself) had just chuckled before slinking over to the sofa. He had sat down without hesitation, swinging an arm over the back of it with a smirk and a "Chaos".

Fon had a little more tact and had asked if they could come in before also ignoring the siblings and grabbing a chair from the small dining table, moving it across from the couch.

A soft smile with an extended hand towards the three seater and suddenly the Shamals were guests in their own home.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Trident Shamal, my name is Fon."

Shamal nods jerkily from his spot in between Ancile and Renato, his hands fists on his knees.

"I know who you are."

"Oh?" A hand is on the back of his neck, too wide and strong to be his sister's. "You know my name?"

His palms are slick with sweat as he nods again.

"Your sister doesn't have the privilege. Maybe you should introduce us." From the increase in pressure on his neck and the way Renato is leaning forward there's no way this is a request.

"Maybe you should introduce yourself." She grouches and  _holy shit_ if they get out of this alive he's going to kill her.

"Hm, what was that  _nuvoletta_?" She grumbles something under her breath in response but he's too hung up on what the man just called her.  _Nuvoletta_ , little cloud, and try as he might he can't convince himself that it's just a cute nickname.

He needs to know why the World's Greatest Hitman is calling her a cloud but god he  _doesn't_   _want_ to know. Doesn't want to even consider the implications because a four year old should  _not_  have activated flames.

He doesn't even realize his flames are getting agitated until there's a sudden, overwhelming burst of Sun flames choking the air from his lungs.

"Introductions first, stories second." The hand has relaxed at his neck now but it doesn't comfort him in the slightest.

He might as well be a bobble head with how often he's nodding.

"Ancile," he clears his throat, "these men are  _Signore_  Fon, the foremost expert in martial arts, and  _Signore_ Renato, the World's Greatest Hitman, of the  _I Prescelti Sette_." He resolutely ignores the assessing look Fon gives Ancile.

" _Signori,_ my name is Trident Shamal and this is my sister, Ancile. It's a pleasure to meet you both." He finishes through gritted teeth.

Renato's eyes are practically stars with how bright they're shining. Shamal is sincerely considering joining an isolationist monastery. Fon is really only trying to move this meeting along.

And Ancile, well Ancile kind of feels like dying.

How is it even possible that she's still alive? Especially when she knows that Renato (the  _World's Greatest Hitman_ her mind screams) knows that she purposely took him to the most crotchety old woman in possibly the entirety of Italy.

Fon had bought her food for God's sake! And she had him taste test it!

Mortification and terror are all she can process right now and she's not entirely sure which one she's projecting that's causing Renato to crack up.

She should've never left the house today.

It's not long before they move on to telling Shamal about the  _incident_ and it's all he can do not to groan out loud.

He knew it, he knew she would get involved with the Antonelli somehow and it's only a matter of time before they find out about her flames.

Something grabs at his hand and it's all he can do to not throw it off immediately. Looking down, he sees her small hand, brown eyes wide in concern.

Belatedly, he realizes that he's short on breath and that his vision's gone a little fuzzy.

He still manages a smile for her. "I'm fine Ci, don't worry." She squeezes his hand.

"May I ask what's wrong?" He doesn't have to look to know that Fon is shooting him a smile and how the man doesn't realize that it's extremely unnerving is beyond him.

What can he say anyways?  _Oh yeah everything's great, I'm just worried that once I leave in the summer that my sister's going to get abducted by the Antonelli and forced into doing god knows what but yeah, no reason to worry._

"He's going to be leaving in the summer and is worried that the Antonelli will make a move for  _nuvoletta_ now that she's flame active."

The urge to groan is growing by the second but he's holding strong, he won't lose his cool in front of these two.

" _Fratellone_ , what does he mean by 'leaving in the summer'?"

He groans.

ᛇ

Those that know of Fon always talk about how kind he is. Gentle, even; constantly regaling each other with tales of his politeness. The complete opposite of his flame.

Fon loves it.

Absolutely revels in the fact that his politeness has become such an integral part of his legend. That nobody has realized that he's damn near weaponized it; turned it into something that simultaneously puts people at ease and vexes them.

He's gotten so used to getting what he wants through a series of polite smiles and kind gestures that at this point, he really doesn't know what it's like to live without.

(Renato calls him manipulative, he likes to think himself pragmatic.)

So when he hears about the impending problem the Shamals will have to deal with, well, his smile might've gotten just a  _bit_  brighter.

"I believe I have a solution to your problem." He expects the wariness in the older Shamal's eyes but a part of him delights in seeing it replicated in the girl's.

He pretends not to notice the laughter in Renato's.

"What kind of solution?" Fon has to give credit to the young Mist, to be able to openly show your suspicion in front of two of the  _I Prescelti Sette_ is no small feat _._

"Ancile here shows great promise. If I were to take her under my wing she'd be able to grow into her own, learn more about her flames, and be protected from anyone untoward." He keeps the soft smile on his face. "Of course should she accept, I would be taking her with me. Though if you truly are leaving in the summer I don't see why it should be an issue."

"And your employer?"

"As my apprentice she would be required to attend to certain matters but it would be entirely at my discretion. She would have no direct contact with them." He watches as the boys hands tighten into fists again.

"And you would be with her? All the time?"

"I would be with her for as long as I can until my prolonged presence is no longer imperative to her safety."

He can see the thoughts running around Trident's head, clearly weighing the pros and cons of the situation. Shamal looks at Renato from the corner of his eye and then back to the table; if one reputation was this accurate then who says the other isn't as well?

Fon has never been more grateful for Renato being such a bastard.

"You can't have her immediately. She's four." His nails are deep enough to draw blood and his flames are twitching again, starting to slip from the boy's impressive control.

"When is her birthday?"

"March 27," he was wondering when she would start talking again, " _fratellone_  what's going on?"

"Do you want me to explain  _nuvoletta_?"

" _No_  I don't want you to explain." She grips her brother's hands again. "Can you please tell me what's happening?"

"I'll explain later tonight, huh  _cara_? Just let me talk to Fon first." She nods in response, a pout firmly in place. "I'll be leaving in late May, you can come get her then, no sooner."

He has the desperate urge to click his tongue at being ordered around but he bites it back, nodding instead.

"May then, no sooner."

It's not long before he and Renato are ushered out of the door. They'll discuss the Vongola's interest in the boy tomorrow, though Fon decides he'll leave that up to Renato to deal with.

"Wasn't that so  _very_  interesting?" He barely controls his eye roll at Renato's amusement. Honestly, how this man functions in the mafia with such an infuriating personality is beyond him. Misgivings about his partner aside, he's not wrong. There've been very few moments that Fon would consider to be noteworthy - he can count them on one hand. This day, as unexpected as it was, easily makes the list.

ᛇ

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nuvoletta: little cloud
> 
> Ponte del Diavolo: Devil's Bridge
> 
> Ndràngheta: the Calabrian Mafia, Calabria is the region of Italy where Squillace is
> 
> sorellina: little sister
> 
> fratellone: older brother
> 
> I'm going to try to post all of the chapters already up so that it can sync up completely with what's already posted. Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

ᛇ

The months counting down to May are rife with tension. Shamal spends the entire time sending second glances over his shoulder, trying his hardest to stay aware of everything and everyone he comes into contact with. Honestly, he might even be developing ulcers from the stress.

Ancile spends her time collecting bird feathers and cataloging them in a lovely little book a fisherman down at the docks had gifted her.

Okay, so maybe it's just a  _bit_ more stressful for Shamal than it is for Ancile but can you blame him?

Besides fretting over his little sister and her worrisome future, he's spent a lot of his time establishing himself in his career. It took quite a bit of needling and promises to get Renato and the rest of the Vongola off his back but he managed to carve out some time for him to come up with a real escape plan.

As unlikely as it is, he's going to try his damndest to stay away from the mafia.

Which makes his current mentor all the more ironic.

Giorgio Faletti is his name though he's most commonly referred to as Anguis (and  _no_ Shamal definitely did  _not_ scoff when he heard the name). His medical know-how and ability to develop snake venom as medicine has established him as the most sought after doctor in the Italian underworld.

Shamal's not sure  _exactly_ how Anguis managed to find him, though he does think that the favors he owes Renato are starting to add up in a dismaying fashion.

He likes to think he's been sneaky enough to get away with his "secret" meetings; sure, a lot of the locals know what's been going on but he's  _positive_  Ancile has no idea.

She's more than aware of what's going on.

Ancile knows that her brother is incredibly intelligent. One of the smartest people she's ever met and she's not just blinded by familial loyalty. He's genuinely  _very_  smart.

So she's more than a little surprised that he seems to have forgotten that she enjoys walking around town and eavesdropping on the gossipping citizens. She's known about this snake guy for far too long and she doesn't like the idea of him at all.

Sure, he's super established and powerful and yada yada yada. What's most important to her, however, is that he's  _not_ flame active.

Now it's not unheard of for the mafia to employ people that are flame passive but to be in such a high position without any? She doesn't like the idea of her brother spending so much time with someone so dangerous.

The irony of the situation is completely lost on her.

The trill of a kingfisher catches her ear and she looks up just in time to miss seeing it.

With a dejected sigh she continues on her way home though she's quickly distracted by her neighbor calling her over for some sweets.

Five minutes and a mouthful of chocolate later finds her in her entryway, staring at her brother with a sheepish smile.

"You're home early." She says as she moves to the couch. His medical training has been keeping him away from the house most nights, leaving her to rely on her neighbors for food and the like.

"There wasn't much to do today." He doesn't mention that he specifically asked if he could come home early. There's only two days until the start of May and he doesn't doubt that Fon would show up at midnight, claiming that they had agreed on May but never specified a date. "I made dinner."

"Okay," she chirps from the couch before going to wash her wands.

Dinner is spent telling each other of what they got up to during the day. Ancile's recollection is bright and enthusiastic, detailing all of the birds she saw and the flowers that have started blooming. She even tells him about the local gossip she overheard while running away from the bratty kid down the block. Shamal's is almost infuriatingly vague. No names are given and even descriptions are bereft of adjectives. All she really gets is boring medical jargon that she doesn't have a hope of understanding.

The rest of the day is spent in companionable silence. Shamal is pouring over the medical files of his most recent patients and Ancile is lounging around, trying to drum up the energy to get a second helping of food.

Her eyes droop one too many times though causing Shamal to quickly usher her off to bed with a promise that the food will still be there tomorrow.

ᛇ

May 1 comes and goes without any unexpected visitors.

Shamal doesn't quite know how to feel about that. The ulcers feel like they're about to burst and he's positive his lifespan has been halved at this point.

He spends the entire day riddled with anxiety. He makes so many mistakes that Anguis almost tries to kill him, sending him home early before he actually does anyone in. When he gets home and sees Ancile lazily conjuring flames on their couch, complaining loudly about the boy down the street, he almost bursts with joy.

Dinner that night is loud with jokes and laughter - the liveliest their home has ever been.

He goes to sleep with a smile on his face.

He wakes up on May 2 exceedingly somber. Sure, Fon didn't show up yesterday but there's no guarantee that he wasn't caught up on some business. How does he know for sure that he won't show up today?

With a groan, he gets out of bed, determined not to let this ruin his day. Anguis had business to attend to in Sicily giving him two days off. He hadn't told Ancile yet, wanting to save this as a surprise. He knows that she's been feeling dejected lately though she's done an admirable job of hiding it. He hasn't been able to spend a lot of time with her, something he's genuinely torn up over, but between giving the mafia the run around and studying, he just didn't have any time to spare.

It's a lame excuse, one he can't ever hope to stomach completely. When she's gone somewhere halfway across the world from him, he knows he'll be kept up at night thinking about all the what if's. She's young now, but Shamal hopes that she'll understand one day.

'No,' he reminds himself, 'today is our day together. Stop thinking like that.' Shaking himself loose, he quickly gets ready for the day. He gets the rolls and jams out, brewing a single cup of coffee for himself. Footsteps pad lightly down the hall signaling Ancile's arrival. A smile lights up his face when he sees her clad in the pale purple onesie their neighbor gave her. Her hair is completely mussed from sleep and a fist is rubbing furiously at her eye.

She looks every bit the five year old girl he knows she won't be allowed to be.

"Come on  _sorellina_ , you'll need your energy for today." He smiles at her confused pout, turning around to pour his coffee into a mug.

Their breakfast is filled with him trying to keep her from dropping face first onto her plate. She's never been woken up at breakfast by him before so he understands why she's struggling. That doesn't make it any less hilarious, though.

While he's not exactly a morning person it's nice to see someone who's even more of a grouch.

A half an hour later finds them strolling down the street towards the bus stop. Ancile is at his side regaling him with a story she recently read. He doesn't have the heart to tell her he already knows it.

"Where are we going?" She asks, taking a quick sip from the water bottle he hands her.

"Well you said you've never been to a fair, right?" She nods slowly. "I heard Soverato has the best one in all of Italy."

"Really?" She's nearly vibrating with excitement. He nods in response, reaching out to ruffle her hair when she slams into him.

Wrapping her arms tight around his waist she nearly screams, "Thank you thank you thank you,  _caro_."

He quirks an eyebrow at the endearment, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Admittedly, taking her so far away from Squillace is not his best idea. He's willing to risk it, though, just for the sake of her smile.

ᛇ

Ancile's chattering at lightning speed to the boy sitting across from her. He's a year younger with pretty blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She's more than a little upset that his Italian is better than her's but she's trying her hardest to move past it.

It's the first time she's met a boy that's actually willing to talk to her (she easily excludes Shamal from this list what with him not being a  _real_ boy and all). At least the first time she's met one that wasn't trying to kill her.

She's still not sure about Fon.

(She definitely thinks Renato is out to get her.)

He's visiting from northern Italy, a small town by the name of Como. It's his first time in the south and she tries very hard not to preen at the thought that he prefers it here.

Shamal had muttered something under his breath before disappearing a few minutes ago. The boy's chaperone - his dad?- had followed him shortly after. She was a little suspicious about what they were up to but then a stick of cotton candy was shoved in her face and she forgot all reason.

"-I can't go on the ferris wheel though." He's just finished telling some rousing tale and though she has no idea what he was talking about, she does a great job pretending.

She paints a sympathetic smile on her face, nodding her head along with him.

"Let's go on the bumper cars then!" She grabs his hand, tugging him out of his seat. He nearly trips on his shoelaces but manages to catch himself at the last second.

The line is surprisingly short and the two soon find themselves crammed into a shared bumper car that smells far too much like stale soda and powdered sugar. They're on the smaller track for kids so there's not much wiggle room but Ancile makes it work.

She's an absolute demon behind the wheel.

Honestly he's never been as terrified as he is in the moment that Ancile jerks the wheel ferociously, fishtailing them and slamming the end of their car into two others in the process.

(He'll never admit it but he might have peed a little when she started cackling madly.)

Feeling the cotton candy making a return to his mouth, he urges his new friend to pull over, there's a limit to how many sticky things he can tolerate having on his shoes.

A pout worms its way onto her face but she obliges him, going back to the designated wait area.

"Oh, done so soon?" The ride attendant asks in a bored tone.

He opens his mouth to agree but her voice, pitched high in indignation cuts him off. "Of course not! We're just taking a break!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The scowl on her face is enough to give her wrinkles. The mental image elicits a few chuckles out of him though he flinches back when she turns her ire on him.  _Hurry up_  is clearly painted on her features and he scrambles, trying desperately to follow through. Dry heaves rattle his body, causing a few parents to throw concerned glances his way. He rights himself quickly though and nearly lunges for the car in an attempt to get out from under her piercing stare.

"You good." She doesn't even bother inflecting as if it was a question, jerking the car into the path of another, grinning widely at the resulting collision.

ᛇ

Ancile waves wildly at her "friend", beaming at the look on his face. "See you later  _caro_!" The boy weakly waves back, hand fisted tightly in the pant leg of his guardian.

"Did you have fun?" Shamal asks wryly, casting a furtive look around.

"Oh yeah! Though the boy I was playing with was kind of a baby." She pokes at a loose thread on her shirt.

"Did you get his name?" Her sheepish smile is answer enough, though he just rolls his eyes at her thoughtlessness.

"Anyways,  _caro_ , let's go get some ice cream." She clasps her hand in his, tugging him harshly in the wrong direction.

"Say,  _sorellina_ , when did you start calling people 'caro'?" He loops his arms through hers, gently correcting their path.

"Well  _Nonna_ Cosetta says it all the time and I guess I just picked it up."

"Hmm, really?"

"And you say it sometimes too." She mumbles into his side. A smile blooms across his face regardless of how hard he tries to stop it. He probably looks a bit demented right now but that's nothing in front of the affection that's probably pouring out of him in waves.

The sun starts to set not too long after they finish their ice cream and though it's going to kill his wallet to do this, he rents a small room for them to stay in for the night. Ancile is absolutely ecstatic. Even when she lived in Naples, she had never stayed in a hotel.

She gets so excited about it that she actually manages to completely wear herself out. The moment they step foot in the room, she falls right asleep and is dead to the world until the next morning when Shamal pulls her out of the bed.

They leave Soverato under the cover of dawn, sleepy and content.

ᛇ

The trip back is almost painfully uneventful. Something that manages to put Shamal on edge. Though he tries not to grow too paranoid it's unbelievable that they would run into the mafia at the Soverato fair of all places.

Even the beach would've been more understandable!

Thankfully, Ancile is blissfully unaware of all of the dangers that she's barely managed to avoid. Instead, she's pressed against his side, drooling onto his favorite shirt. He pushes her head away with his hand, a grimace twisting his face.

How she manages to be such a nuisance even in her sleep is beyond him.

A half hour is how long he spends propping her head up on his hand, away from his shirt and all he has to show for it is the steady stream of drool dripping off it. The disgust is clear on his face as he wipes it off on the back of her shirt. Even the dramatic loss of her head support doesn't rouse her. Grumbling, he pokes her repeatedly in the side, attempting to tickle her awake.

He's rewarded with an arm to the face not a minute later.

"What's happening?" She asks around a yawn, completely unaware of the murderous thoughts running around her brother's head.

"We're almost home." He nearly growls in response. She blinks at him in confusion.

As far as Shamal's concerned, she completely deserves the noogie he gives her.

Their walk home is spent constantly ribbing each other. There are a few physical attacks as well, but that clearly benefits Shamal with his spindly limbs.  _Nonna_ Cosetta is outside as usual, airing out her sheets though she does look a bit worried. The smile she sends their way is stiff, completely unlike her normal, cheery self.

He brushes it off, thinking she was probably just having an off day. Or she got into a fight with her husband.

He  _really_ should've asked.

Ancile opens their door, completely ready to collapse on the couch when she freezes. Her entire body goes completely stiff, knuckles turning white on the door handle.

Dread pools in his gut as he steps up behind her, setting a hand gently on her shoulder.

"I apologize for my tardiness." Sitting on their couch as if he belongs there is Fon in all his red and white and gently smiling glory.

(They're both so wrapped up in their shock and horror that neither of them cast a second glance at the curiously green vase on the coffee table.)

ᛇ

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

ᛇ

The Shamals stare, unabashed, at their intruder, minds working a mile a minute to figure out exactly what he was doing, sitting in their living room with all the lights off.

Fon smiles in return.

"Um-what-why are you here?" Ancile speaks, glancing curiously at her frozen brother.

"Don't tell me you forgot." His eyes flicker to Shamal's. "I'm here to collect you. I would've been here sooner but I had some business to attend to."

Ancile doesn't respond, mainly because she's reluctant to admit that she  _did_ forget but also because Shamal is still frozen in the doorway.

Honestly, it seems like he's not even breathing.

"Please, sit down, we have quite a bit to go over." Fon lifts a cup of tea to his lips earning a frown from Ancile. Still, she shuffled over, sitting in the chair opposite him. "Come now Shamal, don't make things more difficult than they have to be."

The words are spoken softly with an earnest tone but Shamal would be a fool to not recognize the threat staring him in the face. Swallowing down his pride, he sits down next to Fon, wishing desperately that he could stow Ancile somewhere far away.

The three of them sit in silence for what feels like hours, none of them willing to be the one that breaks. For Fon and Shamal it's a matter of pride.

For Ancile it's a matter of staying awake.

With a heavy sigh, Shamal gives in. "You said you had a lot to talk about."

Fon smiles around the lip of his cup. "No, I said  _we_ have a lot to talk about."

The two men stare long and hard at each other, smugness bleeding into Fon's gaze.

"Well then why don't we get started?" Shamal grumbles out.

"Of course." Fon sets his cup down on the table, turning to look at Ancile. "Is that fine with you?"

She nods back, brows furrowed at the man in front of her. She had been coming around to Fon over the past few months but seeing how on edge Shamal is has pushed her firmly back into "anti" territory.

Fon spends the next three hours detailing the trials and tribulations he's about to put Ancile through. He knows he lost her about 30 minutes into the speech (which, quite frankly, is a lot longer than he expected) and Shamal only lasted an hour longer. He tries not to chuckle at the twin perplexed looks on their faces but it's hard to control himself. The two look like carbon copies, head tilted slightly to the side, eyebrows furrowed, eyes slightly glazed and mouth parted open just a bit. He could have Lichi swing in and start wrecking all of their furniture and they probably still wouldn't react.

All the better for him, really. He's never taken an apprentice before but he's not especially inclined towards taking it easy on the girl. He continues talking half heartedly, switching to an unrelated topic before focusing his attention on her.

Renato had asked again and again what he saw in the child as if she hadn't piqued his interest as well. Honestly, Fon had no real explanation for it, something about her just drew him in. Sure when he originally thought up the idea it had been because of the potential he saw in her but how many children did he see daily that had the same amount. That had  _more_? No, there was something about Ancile that urged him to take her under his wing. If he didn't know any better he'd assume she was a Sky. His eyes drift to her hands quickly where he can see flickering purple flames.

_Definitely_ not a Sky.

If only he trusted Verde, certainly that man could figure this out; though a part of him shudders thinking about the lengths Verde would go to. When Fon had been introduced to the scientist, he had expected to be greeted by poise and logic, an air of dependability as the smartest and oldest of the  _I Prescelti Sette_. Instead, he was forced into interacting with a madman in a lab coat that seems to have never learned basic manners.

Fon's loathe to admit it but Renato seems to be the only one sans Luce that actually knows how to behave. A scoff rises in his throat at the thought of the younger man that he hides behind a cough.

Ancile's yawn breaks him out of his thoughts. Plastering on a smile, he urges them both off to bed for a nap with a promise to pick up the conversation at lunch.

Neither one of the siblings notice that the hideous green vase has seemingly disappeared and a slightly less unsightly phone has taken its place.

ᛇ

When Ancile wakes up she's surprised to see the sun shining so brightly in her room. She's never slept so late before and a part of her is steeped in anxiety at the thought. She stumbles out of bed, lazily rubbing the sleep away from her eyes.

Birds are chirping like crazy outside, more aggressive than she's ever heard. She can hear the gleeful shouts of the neighborhood boys playing around in the streets,  _Nonna_ Cosetta's voice is yelling out for them to be careful, laughter tinging her words.

The house is eerily quiet in comparison.

No pots are clanging in Shamal's pitiful attempts at making food, no water running to put out any of his potential fires. No sounds of a pen scratching furiously across paper as he goes over his patient's files.

There's not even the familiar smell of coffee in the air.

She pads softly over to the living room, trying to suss out exactly where her brother is. Quiet murmurs encourage her to keep going and she turns the corner, breathing out a sigh of relief when she sees Shamal perched on the couch.

Fon sitting next to him crushes that relief in an instant.

Her memory of what happened this morning is foggy at best, she won't even pretend that she was paying attention to what he was saying. Long, drawn out speeches about rules just aren't her thing.

Her face scrunches up so hard it's a shock that it doesn't stick permanently, her eyebrows are drawn together tightly as if she's hoping to wind back time to rewatch their previous interactions.

It's almost comical how quickly her face relaxes when she remembers what Fon is here for. She continues casually into the living room as if she hadn't attempted to recreate a Salvador Dalí painting a scant minute ago.

Shamal's heart seizes in his chest as he watches her stroll up to Fon. Officially, he's no longer her guardian and though he would still fight to the death for her, Fon had full authority in this situation.

Fon's eyebrow rises of its own accord as the little girl calmly approaches him. He's not sure where exactly she wants to go with this confrontation but he's thrilled at her initiative.

Even if he has to punish her for it.

She pauses in front of him, gazing up into his eyes directly. Her eyes are afire with determination, a relentless flame in a field of wind. Her mouth opens, drawing in a quick breath before speaking.

"Why are you here again?"

ᛇ

"What are you laughing about?" A gentle voice filters through the room, breaking a man out of his silent laughter.

"What are you talking about? I'm not laughing." The man hurriedly moves aside, making space for her to sit down.

"Renato, please don't lie to me."

A beat of silence passes between the two, both weighing what they want to say. Eventually, Renato looks away, slumping against the wall with a sigh.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

The answer is hardly what she wants to hear but she nods, not willing to force the issue. Renato is the type of person that you can't push too much, lest he turn around and shove you off a cliff.

Besides, the small smile on his face is a welcome change from the usually stoic man.

ᛇ

It's a tale as old as time. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy woos girl into falling in love with him, boy gets girl pregnant, girl has baby, boy disappears, leaving both girl and baby.

Abandoning the people you love is a longstanding Shamal family tradition. Though the words "love" and "family" might be considered a  _slight_ exaggeration. Regardless, abandonment and Shamal go hand in hand.

Never before has anyone wanted so desperately to break tradition.

Shamal stares despondently at his sister, wishing he could snatch her away from the man holding her hand.

Ancile had been calm when the situation had been explained to her. Too calm if you ask him. This wasn't the rambunctious five year old that lived to make his life hell. Wasn't the girl that bird watched and made friends with the fishermen down at the docks. Wasn't the girl that callously eavesdropped and spread gossip around a town. Wasn't the little girl that loved as readily as his little sister.

This was a little girl that had grown way too accustomed to being left behind, sent off alone again and again. And  _god_ did he hate his father for doing this to her.

His eyes burn fiercely when he looks up at Fon. The telltale tingle of his flames activating shoots up his arms. He never expected Ancile to wedge herself so firmly in his heart when their father dropped her off but now the idea of life without her is heartbreaking.

Arms wrapping around his waist jolt him out of his thoughts and he slaps a smile on, raising a hand to gently set it on her head.

"Goodbye  _caro_. I'll miss you."

"Me too  _cara_ , me too."

Shamal stands there, watching his little sister disappear into the sunset for hours. He knows the whispered words he hears are just his flames reacting to his feelings but it doesn't stop him from whispering an "I love you" into the wind and hoping it'll carry to her ears.

ᛇ

 


	5. Chapter 5

ᛇ

Fon didn't expect his new charge to be so….calm but there's no other word to describe her. She sits across from him in their train carriage, watching the Italian countryside roll by. He lets himself become absorbed in the image for a moment, trying to get an understanding of what she's feeling without having to ask.

They sit like this until the train pulls into Naples. Her posture shifts slightly when the announcement comes on announcing the ten minute layover. Seeing his chance, Fon leans forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. It's a while before Ancile notices but she eventually turns to look at him, head tilted to the side.

"You're from Naples, correct?" He's trying to soften his words for her benefit but it doesn't seem to do him much good. Still, she nods in response.

"Did you miss it after you moved?"

She shakes her head this time, a frown growing on her face.

"Why not?"

A deep sigh much older than her age warrants comes as she turns her head to stare at the busy station. "I don't really remember it that well."

He's not sure if he believes her, the kids he's met during his travels have all been able to remember things from so long ago it initially surprised him. Though that may be given the life they lead.

"Do you think you'll remember Squillace?"

Her head jerks around to face him, eyes growing wide with incredulity. "Yeah! It's my home!" He smiles gently in return, hoping his demeanor will ease her.

"I had assumed you'd be more upset about leaving."

"I am!" Tears flood her eyes as she blinks rapidly, desperately trying to keep the floodgates closed. "I am…"

"Yet you act almost relaxed." He doesn't mean it as an accusation but it's clear it comes across that way from the flash of indignation on her face. She calms herself quickly though, a pout forming in the place of the pursed lips.

"I'm used to having to leave."

Were he not so used to the death and destruction of the criminal underworld, he might be moved by the plight of the child in front of him. Instead, he figures that he has one more question before she's pushed over the edge and determines to make it count.

"So why do you cry then?"

"It's the first time someone'll miss me."

The train whistle blows twice before starting up again, steadily leaving Naples and the rest of Southern Italy behind.

ᛇ

Rome is unlike anything Ancile has ever seen. There are just  _so many_ people. At least in Naples, it was spread out but here? Here they were like packed sardines, everyone bustling around one another to get to one place or another.

Part of her delighted in the chaos of the moment but another part of her cringed away, wondering why in the world anyone would want to live like this.

Fon's red clad back serves as a beacon in the dense crowd that she follows closely. He doesn't bother holding her hand or checking to make sure she follows. Honestly, if she slipped away right now he might not even notice.

She briefly considers the idea, rolling it around in her head for a long minute before deciding not to take the chance. At least she knows who Fon is, even if she doesn't really trust him.

Better the enemy you know than the one you don't.

Doesn't stop her from wishing he had shorter legs though.

Fon waits across the street for her, standing alongside an inconspicuous black car. Their trip has been completely silent since the conversation on the train and she would be lying if she said it didn't make her nervous at all. He ushers her into the back of the car before climbing in himself without a word to the driver.

She sits there, tension stiffening every muscle, just waiting for him to say something but the car peels away from the curb without a hint of him opening his mouth. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion, wondering if every man she'll meet from now on will be telepathic.

Leaning slightly to the side, she urgently whispers, "Fon," she's so caught up in her confusion she doesn't notice the driver stiffen, "don't you need to give an address?"

He looks over with an indulgent smile, patting her once on the head before settling back against the seat with his eyes closed. Equal parts confused and frustrated, Ancile just mimics his position figuring now's a good time as any to fit in a midday nap.

A short while later finds her being jostled awake by the driver. Fon seems to have disappeared for the moment, leaving her to gaze up at the man with thinly veiled distrust.

He scoffs at the face she's making and reaches out to grab her arm. Panic surges in her throat, painfully reminding her of a dark alley from not too long ago and before she can stop it, a burst of purple manifests on her arm. The driver jerks back, reaching for his belt. The flame burns brighter at the action, steadily growing out to cover from her wrist up to her shoulder.

" _Tíngzhǐ!_ " Fon's voice cuts through the air. The altercation lasted one minute at the most but the amount of raw power emanating from the girl was enough to call not just his attention, but every flame-sensitive person's attention at the shipping port.

Fon jerks the driver back and away from the car, seething at him all the way. It's an elegant sort of anger, no clenched fists or smouldering flames. It's quick, measured words with a firm, very warm hand but it surely drives the point home because the other man scrambled back, desperate to get away.

He immediately shifts to kneel in front of Ancile in an attempt to get her to focus on him but she's in full panic mode, eyes frantically flying from one object to another, trying to determine what's the greatest threat, it would be a surprise if she even registered who he was. He doesn't want to shatter her flames again, fearful of the long term effect it'll have on her. Flame formation is not an easy task, it takes a tremendous amount of will power and trust in both the flames and your ability to control it to manifest them. At such a young age, the flames are directly related to Ancile's psyche and shattering it would be just as traumatic as someone smashing her skull in with a hammer.

Once was enough, he can't justify doing it again.

Unfortunately, the energy from her flames seems to be attracting more and more attention and though he wasn't necessarily keeping his new apprentice a secret, it wasn't information that he wanted to get out before  _he_ was ready. Growing increasingly agitated, he does the only thing he can think of in that moment.

He slaps her. ( _Lightly_  of course)

He's not proud of it. He's only been around hysterical people twice before and he ended both previous encounters by killing the men that were babbling in front of him which doesn't really seem like a viable option here. Sue him for taking a page out of the movies.

Thankfully it's enough to ground her back on earth, eyes fixed firmly on the man in front of her.

It takes her a minute to fully register what just happened but the frown is extraordinary when she does. "You slapped me."

"Yes." He pauses as her eyes well up with tears, something he didn't anticipate at all. "No, no, don't cry." His words are in vain however as she devolves into a blubbering mess. "I'm sorry, don't cry." He's trying hard to keep the panic out of his voice but well, crying children aren't really his forte.

He slumps down against the car with the eerie sensation that this won't be the last time he regrets taking her on.

ᛇ

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tíngzhǐ: stop in Mandarin


	6. Chapter 6

ᛇ

"Fon  _xiānsheng_ ," a voice calls out to the man in front of him, quaking with nerves. He's coated in thick mud, globs dripping from his face and landing with a heavy plop on the floorboards beneath him, "the...child" he barely bites back the sneer curling his lips, "is causing many problems for us."

"Oh?" Fon hums in response, not even opening his eyes to look at the man.

"Y-yes," the other men had urged him not to do this but he just couldn't take it anymore, he had signed up for a trip to China not to hell, "she's...not behaving as one would expect of a student of your's."

"Hm." Fon keeps his eyes shut, arms crossed loosely over his chest. He's heard rumblings of what Ancile has been up to in the past week but hadn't seen fit to intervene. The problem must be getting much worse if someone sought him out to complain.

"The men, they-they are  _suffering_ , a child is embarrassing them yet they can do nothing to stop it." The man drops to his knees, bowing low towards the ground in a distinctly antiquated display of formality. "Please, reign her in o-or let us handle her behavior."

Fon cracks an eye open, pondering the man before him. He gives it a few minutes before rising to his feet and moving past him, his clothes barely rustling with his movements. He sighs to himself, he had been hoping to observe Ancile for a longer amount of time but she's turning out to be more of a nuisance than he had anticipated.

There were whispers floating around Squillace when he had returned to retrieve her about a terror of a girl chasing birds and lounging with the fishermen but he had taken it all in stride, ascribing it to homebodies blowing things wildly out of proportion.

He should've paid closer attention.

Instead, he had counted on the idea that she would be lost without a place to call her own, scrambling to find something to cling to, she was supposed to have sought that out in Fon, resulting in the natural formation of a master-student relationship.

She was meant to turn out like a cloud he knew from far before he ever got mixed up in the criminal world. An elderly man that introduced him to the world of speed. The man was the most confident person Fon has ever met in his life, complete faith in his power and flames. And yet, when his town was devastated by an earthquake he was reduced to nothing - an empty shell of the man he once was.

But no, no, she's in a class all her own. Well, all her own save one. The only other cloud to ever buck tradition in the same way was Skull - the brat of the  _I Prescelti Sette_ \- someone who had nothing to call his own; no land, no family, no friends, nothing. Regardless of all of Luce's grand schemes to cultivate an environment of inclusion, Skull is so distinctly  _other_  that there's nothing to connect him to the rest of the group. Reborn begrudges him his innocence, Verde his stupidity, Lal his weakness, Mammon his freedom. The only thing keeping Fon from questioning his inclusion in the group is the flicker of power he catches now and again. It's exceedingly subtle to to the point where, with how high-strung they are, the other members haven't noticed it - the full authority of a cloud just brimming under the surface.

As he reaches the deck of the ship, he ponders Ancile.

Is she the same? He asks himself. Or is it just a byproduct of being a child?

A screech erupts from her throat followed by maniacal giggles and he sighs to himself. Again.

Regardless, the world will be watching him - watching  _them_  and he can't afford to have her fail. She'll have to bear the burden of being his chosen and all the responsibilities that come with it.

"Ancile," his quiet voice echoes throughout the deck, bringing all eyes to him, "come here." She stares at him suspiciously for a long moment before dropping the squirming fish in her hands and plodding up to him. "What are you doing?"

She shrugs in response, twisting her slimy hands in her shirt. He stares back in response, not willing to accept that as an answer. A pout grows rapidly on her face, an expression he's getting very familiar with. It's only a matter of time before she breaks and he's more than willing to wait her out.

She glances away from him, casting her gaze over towards the sunset that's tinting every crest of the ocean's waves. Distrust colors her thoughts completely. This is not a man she can trust, of that she's sure. Why she's sure? Well, she doesn't quite know.

He hasn't exactly done anything but maybe that's the entire issue. Yes, she's a stranger to him but she was a stranger to Trident when they first met and he tried  _so hard_  to get her to trust him. Fon, on the other hand, seems content to just be as they are and she does  _not_  like that.

Sue her if she wants to be wanted.

She casts her eyes back to the man not quite looming in front of her. He's got that same serene look on his face as he always does, the one that's starting to unnerve her greatly. She knows the stance he has, it's the same one that Trident takes on when he wants her to go to bed. He's not about to just let her move on with her life, he wants an answer and neither one of them is going to leave until he gets it.

"I was just having fun." She mumbles. Though her posture has shifted into something meek, fingers wrapping themselves into nervous knots in her shirt, her eyes are still staring straight at him with no hesitation in an almost perfect recreation of how she stared daggers at Renato.

A sense of pride grows in Fon. He knows he's not responsible for her courage, for the strength she's exuding but knowing that in time he will be fills him with the strangest sensation.

"Wreaking havoc is fun?" He phrases it as if he was actually musing the thought rather than rebuking her but she's been in enough trouble in her young life to know admonishment when she hears it.

Rocking back on her heels, a small, sheepish smile grows on her face. "Sorry." She chirps, not meaning it at all. Delight courses through her when Fon drops the pleasant mask to frown openly at her. She might just have found her new purpose in life.

Fon doesn't say anything in response to her, just sighs before gesturing for her to go down below deck. They've only got a few days left on the ship but should he continue letting Ancile reign free, he can't guarantee the other  _passengers_  won't interfere.

They trod down the stairs, Ancile glancing around every few minutes with a vague expression of disgust. He bites back a chuckle at her reaction, taking a look himself. It certainly wasn't anything he'd consider special.

A rat crawls over his foot.

It's not even something he'd consider decent but he's been in worse places and Ancile will have to get used to making do with nothing.

"Sit down." He instructs her once they reach a wide enough area. Her nose scrunches at the thought but thankfully she actually follows through, dropping down heavily on the ground and crossing her legs in front of her.

Fon mimics her position in front of her with a fair bit more grace, his eyes closing naturally.

"Breathe." He commands, hearing the rustle as she leans back in surprise. They sit in silence, Fon relaxing more and more while Ancile grows increasingly aware of her own breathing pattern, throwing herself out of whack.

"Breathe." He commands again, biting back a smile at the frustration practically pouring off her. She huffs for the next few minutes, agitation increasing at each 'breathe' that leaves his mouth but eventually, eventually she calms down.

Copying his breathing technique, Ancile can feel herself winding down, her mood leveling dramatically. They spend the rest of the night like this, breathing in turns.

In and out.

In and out.

ᛇ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> xiānsheng: an honorific for adult males
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I'm trying to balance Fon's anxiety in having to care for a child with his usual calm demeanor and it's been...difficult. Please let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

ᛇ

Three weeks.

21 days.

504 hours.

That's how long the two have been trudging through the Chinese countryside after disembarking at a port Ancile couldn't hope to remember the name of. Her tiny legs are burning from the exhaustion but her companion isn't even fazed, eyes not even scrunching under the beating sun.

"We're almost there." He consoles her in a gentle voice, a smile that's meant to be reassuring lingering on his face. What  _there_  he means she doesn't know, he hasn't seen it fit to include her in whatever plans he has though it wouldn't really help her if she knew.

Ancile grumbles lowly to herself, swatting valiantly at the mosquito that's been accompanying her for the past hour. It lands squarely in the middle of her arm, taunting her brazenly but it's she who has the last laugh when she viciously slams her other hand down, rubbing it harshly to ensure the bug dies. She barely manages to bite back the cackle in her throat, casting a nervous glance at Fon.

A mosquito blocks her view.

Incredulously her eyes snap back and forth from the bright red handprint to the  _monster_  in front of her. The bug stays in front of her, sometimes flying farther away and then closer but never leaves its position, dead center in her line of sight. Her frustration rapidly shifts into shock horror at the realization that this  _creature_  must know what it's doing. Thinking back on dark hair and taunting sneers of slightly older boys she absolutely  _knows_  that one of those  _bastardi_ has sent this thing after her.

A strange smile is ghosting Fon's lips and her paranoia immediately jumps to him, bringing to mind even darker hair and a taunting smirk. She can't trust him, his friends are freaks.  _God_ , she misses her brother. Misses having someone she can rely on. Someone she can actually trust.

"Almost there." Fon reassures again, almost mindlessly.

The mosquito flies away, Ancile scowling after it.

Both of them continue on in silence, only the whistling wind (and a slight buzzing sound) to accompany them. Hopefully, if she stays quiet enough, Fon will allow them to take a break. Unfortunately for her she's yet to master the art of behaving herself and in no time manages to work herself into a tizzy, practically vibrating with latent energy just waiting to burst forth. The only thing she can think of to keep herself from both literally and metaphorically exploding is conjuring up a flame or two and so she does just that.

Bright purple leaps forth from her fingertips like candles lighting off one another. They illuminate her entire face, the warmth a welcome distraction from her agitation. The sharp intake of breath from Fon has her pausing mid-step. Though she never really thought about it, in the two-ish months since he whisked her away from home she hadn't ever actually shown him her flames. In fact, this is one of the first times she's conjured them since stepping foot on the boat.

Fon turns to face her, curiosity clear on his face in the most expressive display of emotion she's ever seen on the man. Including the exasperation when dealing with Renato. His eyes narrow inquisitively at her hand, he knew her flames were powerful - he remembers the heat of its manifestation well - but what she's doing now isn't just some cheap parlor trick. Flame manipulation requires a high level of both concentration and will power, without those two the flame would simply exist in her hand with the only way to control it being a direct attack. As the flames start to circle her fingertips he feels his eyebrow rise even higher. It's been less than a year since she manifested her flames and this level of control at such a young age is astounding.

He shifts his eyes from her hand, resting his heavy gaze on her face. She returns his gaze not quite evenly, clearly put out by the sudden interest.

"You should put your flames away for now, you never know who's watching." She jerks her head hesitantly in response, quickly dispersing the flames in another example of her exemplary control. Fon turns around, leading the two of them farther into the countryside. Ancile pouts at his back, standing still for a long moment before trudging after him.

Silence is something Ancile is painfully used to but not something she's particularly fond of, it reminds her too much of empty houses and cold nights. Her fingers twitch in the quiet, casting a long look around them. The road they're walking along is completely isolated, not a soul around. Hell, she hasn't even seen any animals. It's more than a little suspicious especially when her brother's voice rings in her ear, "don't go anywhere alone with anyone you don't know". And really, she doesn't actually know Fon.

From the little she  _does_ know, however, she knows he won't help her stave off her boredom or agitation. The meditation techniques he briefly taught her on the ship spring to mind and she loses herself to them for a moment, focusing intensely on each breath of air she takes. Her heart rate levels slightly and she can feel herself calming down, her fingers no longer twitching.

The peace lasts less than five minutes.

"Where are we going?"

"I've told you already, you will find out when we arrive."

"But why can't you just tell me?" She catches up to him, peering up with wide eyes.

"You will understand in time."

She gives up for a moment, trying to think of the best way to get some information. "Why do we have to go this way?"

He looks at her out of the corner of his eyes, comparing just how annoying she'll be if he answers the question versus if he doesn't. Eventually he sighs, giving in. "It's the only way to get there."

"Why?"

"There's no other path."

"Why?"

"It's isolated."

"Why?"

"It's better to be away from others."

"Why?"

"There's less traffic in the area."

"Why?"

Fon's finger twitches. In any other circumstance it would be barely noticeable but as it is, Ancile is watching him like a hawk for any little hint at something being off. She's greatly enjoyed ruffling his feathers and leaning hard into her inquisitive nature has worked wonders in bothering him.

"Aren't you going to answer?" He can hear the smile in her voice, too warm to be completely sly but mischievous all the same. Fon bites back the eye roll and continues on in silence, not deigning to respond. He knows what she's doing, realized that she craves the attention from his reaction to her outbursts after the fifth talking to he gave her. He can understand her need for it, she hasn't had the most stable life after all but her desire for attention  _must_  be squashed out of her completely. Take it as his first lesson to her.

Her pout at his lack of response quickly descends into a real frown when, after a few minutes, he still hasn't said anything. Still, she persists in needling him, completely determined to get  _something_  out of him. They continue on in this way, silence replaced by incessant questions.

Eventually, they reach the end of the road. A disquieting thing really, Ancile has seen roads change into loose gravel and cobblestone and then to simple dirt paths in the ground but never before had she seen a road just...end. A crop of trees is in front of them, completely unassuming and yet it instills a great sense of trepidation in her. She looks over to Fon, confusion coloring her features only to find a decidedly uncharacteristic smirk on his face. He turns his face to look at her and for a moment her heart stops. His eyes are  _wild_  and she's reminded of the great storms that would flood the marina, wreaking havoc on the wildlife and fishermen.

He steps into the trees, half disappearing before extending a hand to her. She stares at it and him still shocked before placing her small hand into his, allowing him to drag her into the depths of the forest. The silence that Ancile had valiantly chased away returns tenfold, smothering even the sounds of the wind and the crunching of twigs under foot, the only thing she can focus on to keep from panicking is the rush of blood in her ears.

Suddenly, Fon stops in front of her and stretches his arm out. His palm is flat in front of them and he lets out a steady stream of flames, increasing in strength every few seconds. The air shatters around them, seemingly collapsing in on itself before it stops and then explodes out and on and on and on. At some point, Ancile had instinctively covered her face to shield herself from the raw power emanating in front of her removing her hands only as she feels the power begin to die down.

She chokes.

As if an illusion had been lifted, the forest in front of her has completely changed. A house stands a ways in front of her with a wide spread courtyard and sloped roof. Training posts are lined up close towards her with the tell tale signs of use littered on them. There's some kind of contraption there too that looks oddly like a cannon but its set off to the side and so Ancile doesn't consider it much. Attached to the house and facing the courtyard is a an enclosed terrace, a small table with a kettle of tea placed perfectly in the center.

She forces her mouth to close before turning to look at Fon, even more shocked to find his eyes even wilder than they were before.

"Welcome, Ancile."

ᛇ

Fon had shown her around quickly, determining that she would rather explore on her own before leaving her to choose her own room. Ancile isn't sure where he's gone or what he's up to but she doesn't give it much thought as she goes from room to room. Opening the last door on her right she bites back a gasp. The room is so  _big_ , bigger than any room she's ever had before with wide windows looking out over the stream that flows behind the house. There's enough room here for two beds and some change and that's really all it takes for her to decide.

She dumps her bag dramatically on the bed pushed against the far wall, hopping up to lay down next to it. The day so far has been utterly surreal and she's not quite sure what to make of it but after so long of sleeping on the ground, her body completely relaxes the instant she's down and she's off to sleep in no time.

" _Ancile,"_  a voice whispers to her a few hours later, " _wake up."_

A yawn breaks free as she sits up, rubbing her eyes blearily. As she has every day for the past two months, she looks around trying to find Trident, biting back the overwhelming disappointment when he's nowhere to be found. She pads out of her room, wandering the halls in search of the kitchen. After a few wrong turns and even somehow finding herself back in her room she finally manages to find her way there.

Fon is nowhere to be seen but the small table has a stool set up in one of the seats with a bowl of something in front of it. Figuring this was for her and really not caring if it's not, she pulls herself up to the table. This will be the first real meal she's had since she left Squillace and to say she's excited would be an understatement if her devilish smile is anything to go by.

The smile immediately drops off her face at the site of the...concoction in her bowl.

She thinks he was trying to go for something similar to the porridge Trident had made her when she was sick but this was a complete miss. She picks up the spoon sitting in the bowl watching in disgust as the gruel drops down with a heavy slop.

Still, food is food and so, with no small amount of distaste, she scarfs the bowl down. The "porridge" leaves a distinctly weird sheen around her mouth and a strange taste on her tongue making her reach urgently for the water sitting in front of her. For a few minutes she just sits there, swishing the water back and forth in her mouth before the hunger hits her again. Apparently the slop wasn't enough to kill her appetite.

"You'll get more after training." The words surprise her enough that some water comes out of her mouth while the rest slides down the wrong pipe, choking her. She coughs frantically before sitting back, throat and eyes burning. Fon watches in disinterest until she calms down, extending a hand to her. "Come."

Ancile watches him suspiciously but moves towards him regardless. She doesn't take his hand.

Fon leads her outside, to the courtyard. The sun is shining again, brighter actually than when they arrived. The training posts have been moved aside, leaving the entire area wide open.

"You've been asleep for almost a full day." He explains once they stop in the center. "Though your body might be well rested, your mind will still be lethargic." The blank expression he gets in return agrees with him.

"I don't understand." She pouts at him.

"You must learn to always be ready, whether you just woke up or you haven't slept for days." He moves back to the terrace, gesturing for her to stay put.

"How am I going to learn that?" She scratches her hand absently, brows furrowing in confusion.

"You will learn from him." Fon gestures to the spot behind her and she turns to look but it only increases her confusion because  _there's nobody there_. "Look closer." Fon instructs and it takes everything in her not to yell at him.

The area in front of her is empty, of that she's a hundred percent sure so where is she supposed to look? Drifting her eyes up, she starts to peer into the trees. The darkness unnerves her, it looks nothing like the forest they had walked through just yesterday but considering this clearing also technically didn't exist there's really not much she can say for the creep factor.

Sighing in frustration she looks even farther up to the treetops, staring hard. Just as her eyes begin to grow accustomed to the dark green, she startles. There, hidden amongst the leaves are two beady eyes staring back at her. The figure jumps down once he realizes she's noticed him, swinging from one branch to the other until he lands softly in front of her.

Ancile blinks confusedly at the figure before turning to Fon, staring in wonder at the man. He figures that with how often she makes that face, it might just get stuck. She opens her mouth and in the blandest tone he's ever heard from a child utters a sentence that threatens to leave him in stitches:

"That's a monkey."

ᛇ

Darkness has long since settled on his house though there is no peace to be found. He's retreated inside to set a new kettle of water but he can still hear the commotion from outside as Lichi relentlessly pushes the girl.

Though he's quite fond of Ancile himself he really didn't expect Lichi to take such a liking to her. At least not as quickly as his trusty companion has.

He sighs at the crash from outside, he wishes they would be more careful. He builds those training posts himself. After placing the pot of water on the stove, he moves to start his meditation in the sitting room. Settling gracefully on the ground he begins to regulate his breathing, in and out and expanding his mind to open to the world around him.

Brilliant flashes of flames jump immediately to mind as Lichi and Ancile continue their "battle", though it really should be referred to as a "chase". His own flame burns bright in his mind and he urges it to quiet down, there's something growing closer to his abode and he traces it with his mind as it approaches. The atmosphere shifts greatly once it finally reaches him and he cracks open one eye, meeting obsidian with a serene gaze.

"Chaos, Fon."

He's far too polite to curse at the man in front of him.

ᛇ

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a little away from me I'm not going to lie, I wasn't going to introduce Lichi for some time but I've been dying to write him and Ancile interacting because come on, what kid wouldn't love the idea of being trained by a monkey? And finally we're getting a move on in her training!
> 
> I'm caught up transferring chapters now so starting from the next chapter on, everything'll be super fresh. Thank you everyone for reading, please let me know what y'all think!


	8. Chapter 8

ᛇ

Ancile frowns at the monkey standing before her, ragged breaths tearing through her lungs. Blood is dripping from a cut on her leg but she has no time to begin processing the pain before the monkey - Fon had said its name was Lichi - lunged at her again, eyes gleaming brightly.

It was ferocious in its attack, lunging forward one moment before jerking abruptly to the right to catch her side with its claw. She stumbles forwards and backwards, scrambling desperately to get away from the minion of Satan.

The first time Lichi had come at her, she hadn't tried very hard to dodge him. He's such an unassuming creature with a cute red face and large, round eyes. A part of her wanted to just drop down and squeeze it to death.

Little did she know that the devil creature wanted to do the same to her.

Seizing upon her distraction Lichi flies up in the air and over her head but she manages to scurry to the side just in time to have it slam its tail viciously into the ground where she had stood. Fon had called Lichi a "he" but Ancile steadfastly refuses to do so, convinced that if she called it so casually she would end up dead.

As if reading her mind Lichi fakes to the left, reaching forward to claw her eyes.

The ludicrous assault has been raging for hours leaving Ancile with legs like jelly and dark spots dancing across her eyes. She's so exhausted that she doesn't even see the other attack coming and as she flies through the air, careening towards the hard ground all she can think of is food.

She lands with a painful "oomph", body screaming in pain but her mind is a thousand miles away sitting at the edge of a dock with a freshly made panini in hand. Her eyes are clenched shut as she lays there and for a moment, she swears she can smell her brother's cologne in the air.

Lichi prowls towards her, head cocked in confusion. Stopping short of trampling over her small body it grunts at her and, when that

gets no response, reaches out a foot to prod her softly on the leg before scurrying back. Ancile is so shocked by the sudden gentleness in the way Lichi is handling her that tears begin to well in her eyes but she blinks them back ferociously. She learned early on that Fon is not a fan of such open expressions of emotions.

With a sigh far too heavy for a girl her age, she pushes herself up and follows Lichi back to the house. She pauses momentarily at the entrance, both to switch her shoes and to stare suspiciously at the hideous green vase on the small tea table. A hundred percent certain she's seen it before, Ancile takes a cautious step towards it with her fingers outstretched as if to grab it but just as her fingertips skim the surface, a loud growl reverberates through her stomach. Completely distracted, she doesn't even give the vase a second look as she hustles towards the kitchen, the promise of food completely eclipsing every other thought.

In a completely unexpected turn of events, Ancile actually finds herself excited to eat the slop Fon had offered her earlier. Maybe the stale crackers and raw nuts the two had subsisted on for months has changed her taste in food.

All thoughts screech to a halt in abject horror at the thought.

'No,' she frowns to herself, resolve shining in her eyes, 'nothing will ever take away my love for  _zippuli_.'

So caught up in her fierce memorization of her favorite foods, Ancile doesn't even notice the man reclining next to Fon or the latent flames clashing aggressively with her own. Her movements are practically robotic as she reaches the stove and grabs the bowl, mechanically moving the spoon to her mouth. Once she's satisfied with how many different tastes and textures she's committed to memory she turns around in her spot, finally taking in her surroundings.

Shocked light brown eyes meet amused black and exasperated dark brown before a faint blush tints her cheeks and her lips pull down into her signature pout. Renato chortles at the expression, not sure if he'll ever stop enjoying teasing her. "Aren't you going to say hello?"

" _Ciao._ " She mumbles around a mouthful of food, refusing to make eye contact.

"Have you stretched?" Fon cuts in before the younger man can get started with riling her up. She shakes her head in a wary no, frowning furiously when he takes the bowl from her hand and starts nudging her outside. Fon ignores the complaints with a small, fake smile, gesturing for Lichi to come lead his charge in her cool down. A scoff behind him has him turning around, frustration tinting his expression.

"How are you going to deal with her?" Renato asks, a wicked grin on his face. Much to his delight Fon simply rolls his eyes. "Come on  _y_ _é_ _y_ _é_ , you're already run ragged."

"She will change in time."

The sudden silence that falls between the two is so shocking Fon can't help but glance at his companion, completely shocked to see the frown on his face.

"You can't just beat the youth out of her." Fon's expression twists into a scandalized frown due in equal parts to the crass way Renato said it and because that's exactly what he had intended to do. "The more you try to force her hand, the more she'll push back."

Fon knows the young man opposite him speaks from experience, remembers distinctly how Renato had tried to take Skull under his wing when the child was first recruited to join the  _I Prescelti Sette_. He would deny it until his dying day but he had been so  _excited_  when he heard news of such a strong cloud joining them and better yet, they were only two years apart in age. Luce had tried to warn him of the fact that Skull was a civilian, that he had no idea of the seedy underbelly of the world but Renato had ignored it all, determined to raise Skull into a veritable weapon. Unfortunately, the two were so diametrically opposed that nothing except bitterness ever came out of the attempted tutelage.

A sigh escapes Fon, eerily similar to the one Ancile had let out not long ago, "so what then do you suggest I do?"

The man in question thinks for a moment before shrugging, another vicious smirk finding home on his face. "I'm not the one who took her on."

Despite himself, Fon rolls his eyes again.

ᛇ

A week had passed since Renato had arrived at Fon's cottage and it seemed like the man had no intention of leaving any time soon. He claims he's here to see how well the two get on but Fon is no fool and just hopes that whatever business he's been hired for gets taken care of quickly.

(Ancile doesn't mention seeing Renato leave the house yesterday night, eyes gleaming dangerously in the moonlight.)

She's gotten used to the firm routine Fon has established, a constant cycle of meditation and speed drills with occasional breaks for eating what Fon had told her is called congee.

(She's fairly certain it's not supposed to taste this bad.)

It's so different than the life she's lived so far that she's not quite sure how she feels about it but she's silently grateful for the fact that Fon is still  _there_. Ancile will never begrudge her brother anything, she knows how hard he worked to keep her safe and - towards the end - happy but she remembers those long days she spent all alone with a pang of bitterness that turns into a tidal wave when flickers of her time in Naples come to mind.

The only difference in their routine today is the fact that Renato has decided to join them. He sits there now, reclining on the terrace with a cup of espresso as Fon instructs Lichi to beat Ancile senseless. Rapidly losing interest, Renato decides to up the ante and turns Leon into a water gun to start shooting at her feet.

"Are you going to let him do that?" Ancile asks Fon incredulously as the first stream of ice cold water hits her leg only to be met with a serene smile and nod. The ensuing scream of frustration is cut off by a water spray to the face. Lichi quickly gains her ire, however, when a kick lands soundly on the side of her head and then the two are off.

She's gotten quicker, that much is certain. And as she fists some of the wet dirt at her feet to chuck at Lichi's eyes she proves she's gotten better at thinking on her feet as well. It's still obvious, however, that this is the first true training the girl has ever received. Renato's lips curl into a sneer at the thought, for a man who claims to care so much for  _famiglia_  the Shamal patriarch couldn't give less of a crap about his.

He and Fon watch the two run and leap around each other for hours before something  _shifts_  in Fon. It's barely noticeable and if Renato weren't watching him carefully for signs of anything untoward towards the young girl, he would've missed it but for just a second his eyes go a little wild.

"Enough." Fon calls out, voice quiet but firm. Lichi heeds his call immediately, screeching to a halt. Seeing her opening for some sweet revenge, Ancile lunges suddenly at the monkey spending the both of them rolling away. Lichi hoots miserably from under her but otherwise lies still resigning to fate. The girl rises with a broad smirk on her face, sticking her tongue out before turning and walking back to Fon. His quiet disappointment does nothing to cow her, instead it only makes the smirk grow a little more wicked. His eyes narrow at the girl for a second before relaxing, shifting into his patented Serene Look.

"You've gotten faster." His voice is exceedingly plain. "Let's put it to the test."

"What do you mean?" She asks, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"We're going to play a game." His neutral expression shifts into a small smile, immediately setting her on edge. "You're going to run and I'm going to chase you, however quickly I catch you will determine how long you sleep outside tonight."

"What?" Ancile's eyes widen with shock. "Sleep  _outside_?"

"Yes."

Ancile flicks her eyes to Renato before coming back to him, the shock clearly not over yet. She swallows before speaking again, "so like tag?"

"Yes, you will start now and I will follow in five minutes." She jerks back in surprise, scrambling towards the forest.

"You haven't even told me the rules!"

"You'll find out."

Ancile sends him one last flabbergasted look before disappearing into the woods, brown hair bobbing up and down as she jumps over branches.

" _Tag?_ " Renato asks as Leon morphs himself back into a lizard, eyebrow quirked high into his hairline.

Fon ignores him and extends an arm as Lichi climbs to rest on his shoulder, storm flames pulsing lightly to communicate. He tries to calm himself down, running through his tried and true breathing techniques but he can't quite manage it. His flames have recognized that they're finally set to be used again and are waiting at his fingertips for the chance to explode.

"Time's up!" Renato chirps from behind him. Fon's eyebrow quirks and - figuring this is as good a time as any - he sends a quick volley of flames the young man's way, intensely satisfied by the pained groan he hears.

He moves forward quickly with clear instructions for Lichi to stay and keep an eye on the Sun. The trees aren't even an obstacle for him as he moves from one branch to another and for a brief moment a genuine smile lights his face as the wind howls around him, relishing in his freedom.

A squeak from below reminds him of his duty.

Ancile hasn't noticed him above her yet and he's content to play cat and mouse for now, wanting to see exactly what she'll do.

"If I catch you within five minutes you will spend all night outside." He projects his voice to make it sound like he's farther away. "For every five minutes you survive, however, an hour will be shaved off."

She doesn't even wait for him to finish before taking off, looping smartly between the trees. Renato had said something about her using a similar method to escape the  _mafioso_  that had hunted her so long ago and just as last time, it would be a good technique if not for the latent flames soaking into every crevice in the trees.

More than anything, this is a test to see how well she can think ahead. Fon had seen her grow more resourceful over the week but she did so without considering the consequences of her actions. In such a controlled environment it was no concern but if she were out in the open slinging dirt around and moving without aim she would be dead in seconds and he can't have that.

He waits until four minutes pass before moving after her, not bothering to actually go quickly. A shrill shriek of fright escapes her when he lands, scrambling backwards and tripping over a root.

Another thing to work on.

Reaching out, he quickly traps her arms behind her back and proceeds to frog march her back to the house.

"How long was it?" She asks, panting with exertion both from running around and her futile efforts to free her arms from her hold.

"4 minutes and 45 seconds."

She pauses in her attempts to get away before starting again with renewed interest. "Oh  _come on_!" Fon frowns down at her trying to intimidate her into silence but, of course, it doesn't work.

"Stop whining." He instructs as they enter the clearing, spotting Lichi hanging upside down from one of the training posts. He quirks a brow at his pet before stretching his senses out, making sure the damn pest is actually gone. Once they reach the edge of the courtyard he abruptly lets the squirming girl go causing her to fall helplessly onto the ground.

"Come on Fon, don't do this!" She practically begs him. "It's so hot out here!"

He's getting better at ignoring her pleading and strides casually to the front door, briefly shaking off the hands that grip his pants. Turning around he gives Ancile a small, polite smile. "Call me  _shifu_."

The door slams shut.

ᛇ

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yéyé: (paternal) grandfather
> 
> shifu: master
> 
> Don't hate Fon too much now y'all, just remember he really has no idea what he's doing or how to handle children and he's so far away from where he is as a teacher in canon it's not even funny. Thank you for reading, please let me know what y'all think!


	9. chapter 9

ᛇ 

Ancile had never been comfortable in the dark. It’s not that she’s scared, per se, but more that she very _very_ deeply dislikes it. The exact moment she found an enemy in the pitch black that surrounds her so often is hard to pinpoint but here in the forest, with tears and snot streaming down her face and blurring her vision, she can only think of the _bastardo_ down the street that had filled her head with countless stories of the Striga. 

_‘She’ll come in the dark of night,’ he had whispered, face lit up by a light angled under his chin, ‘and_ snatch _the hearts of children.’_

_‘No way.’ Ancile had stuttered, leaning away from the boy._  

_‘Yes.’ He widened his eyes in a sorrowful attempt at looking earnest. It still manages to convince her. ‘She’ll come when there’s no one around and she’ll reach out with her claw.’ He stretched his hand out to her, index finger crooked. ‘And she’ll dig and dig and_ dig _until she pulls the still beating heart out of your body and then,’ he cackled, ‘_ she’ll eat it.’

_Ancile jerked away completely in terror, crashing into the wall behind her. Hands started reaching out to her from all sides while the boy continued cackling in front of her. Heart in her throat, she screamed as loud as she could. Footsteps immediately sounded out down the hall, racing at top speed to get to them. The door jerked open and framed in soft, golden light was her brother._

_“What the hell is going on?” He scooped her up, glaring at each of the boys. Ancile paid them no mind, however, she was too busy trying to fuse her face into Trident’s shoulder._

For a moment, she can practically feel the warmth and comfort she had felt in her brother’s arms but a shadowed root rips her out of her daydreams and sends her sprawling onto the ground. Her tears fall more intensely than ever but she stubbornly refuses to acknowledge them. 

A branch snaps in the distance and any of her composure goes with it. She scrambles up in a mess of limbs, blasting forward as fast as she can with complete determination to not become witch chow tonight. 

Another branch snaps and all rational thought goes out the window. In pure fight or flight mode, Ancile is resolute in her choice and makes quick work of climbing the nearest tree, trying desperately to convince herself that she’s back in Squillace and this is just another quest to find a bird the fishermen hadn’t seen yet. The branch she settles on is barely stable enough to support her weight but the adrenaline pumping through her veins renders her completely ignorant of the fact. Eventually, the sound of pumping blood and her heartbeat drumming in her ears fades away but rather than being comforted by the fact, she finds the silence suffocating.

Ancile goes to sleep that night terrified and alone. 

ᛇ 

She wakes up terrified and with some very unwelcome company. 

Lichi sits on the branch beside her, barely even acknowledging her presence. She’d even believe it was all a coincidence if it weren’t for the fact that the monkey was _somehow_ managing to give off an air of distaste. 

“What are you doing here?” She asks after sitting in confused silence, dropping her head back against the branch. Her eyes are practically swollen shut from how hard she was crying yesterday night and the effort it took to keep them open was just not worth it. Lichi doesn’t respond to her question - though she’s positive he understood it - opting instead to smack the leg nearest him with his tail as hard as possible. 

The hit sends her badly off balance and before she knows it, she’s falling out of the tree with a squeak, landing on a patch of soft grass. With a groan she pulls herself up, frowning furiously at the monkey swinging on its tail in front of her. Lichi chirps once at her before swinging away. She stays put, a pout worming its way onto her face and it doesn’t take long for Lichi to realize she’s not following. With what could only be considered a frustrated sigh, the monkey turns back to grab her arm and tug her forward. 

Shockingly, Ancile stays quiet the entire trek back, her arm limp in Lichi’s hold. 

Fon doesn’t bother greeting them when they get back, in fact, she can’t actually see where he’s gone but there’s a bowl of food on the table and she has no compunctions about sinking into the chair and stuffing her face.

When she’s completely absorbed with the food in front of her, Lichi takes her in for the first time today. If monkeys could talk, he’d fall over himself asking her how she’s doing and if there’s anything he can do to help. As it is, all that escapes him is a miserable hoot that Ancile doesn’t even hear. 

Fon returns hours later when the sun is high in the sky. There’s a cheery smile on his face, one that neither Lichi nor Ancile had seen in quite some time. Bitterness rises up within her suddenly, his joy a cruel reminder of how unwanted she truly is in the situation. 

“Good morning Ancile.” 

Silence is his answer, wiping the smile from his face. A frown tugs between his brows and he turns to face her fully, a wrinkle between his brows. 

“Are you not going to say anything?” 

She maintains her silence, even going so far as to turn her head away from him in a shocking display of disrespect. Fon shuts his eyes in frustration and breathes a deep sigh through his nose. Before he can take a step forward, however, Lichi climbs his shoulder, urging him to keep his temper in check. 

He rolls his eyes at the monkey before trying again. “We’re going to switch gears today.” Fon pulls out the chair across from her. “We’ll maintain your physical training in the evenings, however I think it is important for you to learn the language of the land you’re in.” He pauses for a moment, fully expecting her to turn to him in interest but all he gets for his efforts is a sideways glance. 

“Your instructor will be here shortly, please make sure to be on your best behavior.” With that, he rises from the table and walks out, leaving both her and Lichi behind. 

She glares heatedly at his back, wondering just where in the world he’s off to _again_ . He didn’t even bother asking her how the night went! _She’s_ not the one who asked to be brought along his stupid journey so why is _she_ the only one suffering? A scream of frustration tears through her before she sinks back into her food, grumbling miserably all the while. 

All she knew for sure was that there was _no_ way she was going to behave in this language lesson. 

ᛇ 

Fon barely manages to dodge out of the way as an absolutely seething woman comes barrelling out of the house. He leans back in surprise as she jerks around to face him, eyes blazing red. A soothing smile immediately makes its way onto his face though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“Is everything okay?”

The question has the exact opposite effect and, rather than calming down, she all but explodes. 

“Are you the man that hired me?” He quirks a brow as his answer. “How _dare_ you invite me into this house with such an insolent brat.” She screeches at him. “In all my time I have never encountered such a disrespectful, incompetent, rude child.” 

She turns away from him, stalking off angrily towards the trees, words just short of curses tumbling from her lips. 

With a long suffering sigh Fon walks into the house, fully anticipating Ancile to be doing something ridiculous like hanging from the ceiling _again_ in some kind of imitation of Lichi only to find her sitting cross legged in the center of the living room, the very picture of quaint. 

Immediately, he knows she’s fooling him. 

“What happened today Ancile?” He asks, walking over to sit in front of her. 

“Nothing happened,” she answers, eyeing him suspiciously. 

“So why did your tutor storm out of the house in agitation?” 

“Did she?” She hums back at him, crossing her arms in a reflection of his stance. “I didn’t notice.” 

He feels the frustration well up inside him but immediately tamps it down, determined to sit through at least one conversation with the irritating girl. “Do you not want to learn? Do you think this language beneath you?” 

Her eyebrows scrunch up at that either from not understanding him or from irritation, he can’t tell. “I thought Mandarin was the language but she wanted me to learn Cantonese.” 

All at once he remembers why he liked her in the first place. 

A true smile lights his face for a brief moment, striking Ancile dumb from the brightness. “You’re absolutely right but in the province we’re in, Cantonese is most widely spoken.” 

“Province?” She asks, head tilting to the side. 

“A province is like a state within a country.” He pauses, thinking for a moment. “Take, for instance, Squillace.” She immediately perks up, paying even closer attention than before. “Squillace is a city but _where_ is it a city?” 

She thinks for a long while before muttering a hesitant “Catanzaro” but he just smiles at her.

“That’s the province in Italy but it’s part of a larger region too, right?” She nods hesitantly. “Here in China, we don’t have that secondary level, we just have the province and then the cities within that province. Understand?” 

Ancile shifts to stare at the coffee table before raising her eyes again. “So no Catanzaro, only Calabria?” 

Another smile creeps across his face. “Exactly.” 

They sit like that for a long moment, both contemplating each other. There’s a wariness in Ancile that never faded away and it stings Fon to see it still. He knows he hasn’t done the best job with her but he hadn’t forseen such a consequence. 

Ancile, for her part, is just wondering what Fon has up his sleeves. She know it can’t be anything good what with the way he’s watching her far too closely, as if she was a bird he had never seen before. 

“How about we come to a deal?” Fon asks eventually, hands loosely linked on the table. “You behave during your lessons and learn Cantonese from your tutor and I’ll teach you Mandarin.”

She scoffs as much as a child can. “You? Not Lichi?” 

He smiles at her. 

“Will I have to sleep outside?” 

“That... _result_ comes exclusively from your physical lessons, you will never sleep outside based on your performance in your linguistic lessons.” 

“And I would have to learn two?” 

He smiles again, completely sure of the answer she’s about to give him. It’s not like she has much of a choice anyways but it’s always good to at least try and give the _illusion_ of it. She jerks her head once in a nod and Fon practically glows.

It’s the easiest conversation the two have ever had.  

ᛇ

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone, long time no see. i'm not really satisfied with this chapter but if i spent any more time working on it i'd probably never finish. here's to hoping the next one isn't as rough. thank you for reading, please let me know what y'all think.


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